March 22, 2025 - Teamwork Is Everything

One of the many murals painted by the clubs, teams and classes that race through the Montlake Cut highlights the importance of working together through the technical steps of rowing - feathering, catch, drive, rhythm - that allows these 9 individuals to drive a 60 foot long, 3 foot wide, 220 lb shell (2200 lbs with rowers and coxwain) 13-15 mph for a mile and a quarter.

Today was the 124th Class Day Regatta for the University of Washington rowers.  At stake was pride and pins as the teams prepare themselves for the season.

March 8, 2025 - A Sign of Spring

At 47 degrees latitude, Seattle has one of the most extreme dark seasons in the continental US. Even after the third driest January on record, the city is ready to be done with the Big Dark.   

Fear not! Spring is near!  Tonight, we move the clocks forward.  Today there will be 11 hours and 33 minutes of daylight. Our first post 6pm sunset in several months occurred earlier this week.  The cherry blossoms are starting to show.  (The University of Washington peak cherry blossom is about two weeks ago.)  

The Husky Open, the first home rowing event of the year, is a reminder that Spring is just around the corner.  On a brisk, gray day, the UW Women's Rowing team competed against one another and a few Oregon State University and University of British Columbia boats.  After the 8s and 4s were completed, they rowed back to the Conibear Shell House, changed up lineups and raced again.  A full slate of junior and masters races for boys, girls, men and women from high schools and clubs rounded out the morning. 

       

January 20, 2025 - Flash Of Color

 

Now you see it....now you don't!  A Anna's Hummingbird flashes it's iridescent red gorget for the camera. The Anna is the northernmost year-round range of any hummingbird.  On this sunny, above freezing day they seemed to be much more active than they've been in the last few days as temperatures fell below freezing at night.                                                                                                                                                           

 

November 28, 2024 - Straight Shot

 

At the most southern end of Seattle's Magnuson Park, artist perri lynch's "Straight Shot" begins.  It was installed in 2007.  The 12 ink jade limestone pillars are precisely aligned. The distance between each pillars doubles with the most northern one exactly one kilometer north.  The pair of drilled holes in each stone are also precisely aligned.  Chances are if you've been to the park you may have seen a lone stone north of the soccer fields.   Perhaps you may have also noticed one or two of them near the boat launch.  The next time you're there look around to see if you can spot the rest of the sculpture.

Before becoming a municipal park this was the location of Seattle's first airport.  It's very likely that a visitor was aware that this was once a Naval Air Station - it's hard not to recognize the hangers and buildings still located on the north end of the park! The Navy began construction in 1922 and at the time of Pearl Harbor was one of just three Naval Air Stations on the west coast.  In 1924 the first aerial circumnavigation started and ended here in the Sandpoint neighborhood. Air operations ended here in 1970 with support operations continuing until 1991.